Creating and Sustaining a Lottery Business: Brand It

A business is all about sustainability and for sustainability people must know you, trust you and be loyal to you. This is true especially for a business like Lottery which is perceived as fun, entertainment & money making game but at the same time has perceived negative connotations of addiction & problem -gaming.

So how can lottery owners make sure that people come to them and they keep coming again & again? The answer is “create vibes that attract your tribe” through branding.

A brand is a name, term, sign, symbol, or design or a combination of these that identifies the maker or seller of a product or service. Branding adds value to the product. Brands have meaning well beyond the product’s physical attributes.

In a nutshell, branding for a lottery business is:

“Creating a brand house strategy which has a unique name and that motivates purchases and offers value.”

Why brand a Lottery Business?

Lottery is a business of Chance and Probability. To get citizenry to be a part of it, believe in it and support it to grow; it needs recognition, understanding… a brand name. A brand creates stories, experiences, relationships, promises, and associations – all in all a bond with the business. 

Components of building a strong lottery brand:

• Adapt to local culture: To promote any business one always first needs to consider the culture of the geography. “A Nation’s culture resides in the heart and soul of its people”, so if the business lookup blends with the culture, it is surely going to be a great venture. A strong connection of business with the people, creates trust and trust creates brand value.And it is always, that if people like you they will listen to you, but if they trust you they will do business with you.

  Case study:

  India is a country where family is the priority for any individual. Every auspicious work is done or any important decisions are taken only when the whole family is together. Keeping this in mind ‘Playwin – the biggest lottery in India’ came up with a TV show ‘Playwin- Khelo India, Khelo’. It was a family game show. In India, Lottery is perceived as bad and addictive, elders in the house advice youngsters not to fall a “victim” to the game of lottery. But with this TV show, Playwin included and involved the entire family in playing lottery – giving a new facelift that lottery is a family affair. Playwin also came up with a few TV commercials that depicted how connected it keeps all the facets of the Indian culture; the dreams of a homemaker, the visions of the bread earner of the family.

• Build Identity: First impression is always considered as the most prominent one. Visuals have always been the most impactful tool to grab attention and increase retention. A layman may not understand the in-depth meaning of words written on a board, but surely an icon leaves an everlasting impression, and drives one to be a part of it. Logos are the top most essentials for a business to attract populace.

  Case Study:“National Lottery” at Ireland has implemented this idea in a magical way. A star with trails signifies a game full of movement and magic.

  

• Strong Messaging: Catchphrase!! To create an instant connect between the business and customer, the simplest and fastest way is to have a taglines. It has to be a short, simple and elegant portrayal of what your business stands for.

  Case study:The “National Lottery” of UK came up with the expression “LIFE CHANGING”, which meant the game would change lives by creating winners as well as by contributing to good causes.

• Varied Product Range: Once the wheels are intact to sustain a business, one needs to have a varied range of offerings especially when considering that technology and social factors have a great impact on human lives.The product portfolio should be such that it is appealing and accessible to everyone and they are able to enjoy it at the same time.

  Case study:

  “Playwin” provides a varied range of games SATURDAY SUPERLOTTO, THURSDAY SUPERLOTTO, THUNDERBALL, JALDI 5, JALDI 5 DOUBLE.

• Platform Portfolio: With a product portfolio, the business needs to hand-in-hand create a platform portfolio as well. This makes it easier for people to have access to it; as well as enhancing the business growth by bringing different sources under one umbrella.Case study:
  • “Wyolotto” the brand name of ‘Wyoming Lottery Corporation’ in the United States, has its lottery games that can be accessed at Wyolotto playstations, it has play-slips that makes it more easier for people, to get the slip, fill in the required entries as per the game and submit it by their convenience to the nearest Store that facilitates Wyolotto.
  • The “National Lottery” of UK is another one that has brought online instant win-games and scratch-cards under the umbrella brand “Gamestore” across both digital and retail channels.
  • Playwin has launched mobile lotteries. Now with just one click on a few numbers on one’s mobile, one becomes a part of the game.

• CSR: Corporate Social Responsibility is like a cherry on the cake for a business. It gives a boost to the business and creates a positive aura.Case study:

  One among of the best examples of CSR activities is by the Indian Lottery operator “Playwin”. They have started many social projects dealing with child education and welfare, health schemes and environmental issues.

• Reputation Management: But to keep all these entities intact, one needs to remember that when different minds meet then there is a fair chance of clashes arising if anyone feels that there have been any unfair practices held. Disputes are not an issue anytime, if they are managed well.In Lottery Business, it is very important to note that, any dispute arising due to miscommunication or misinterpretation must be handled in the least time possible. Because at the end of the game loss to any customer means loss to the business. And any loss that is unsorted for long can go on to create a mass loss and damage brand value. To keep upfront to face consequences like this??, business should always state its rules and regulations clearly and have a Redressal body which would take a fair and right decision whenever needed.

  Case Study:

  In the event that a dispute between the Company and the Ticket owner occurs about the validity of a winning ticket, and if the ticket prize is not paid, the company may solely at the company’s discretion, replace the disputer ticket with an un-played ticket or ticket of equivalent sales price from any other current lottery game.

  

The Lottery Business is not just about installing hardware and software. It needs to encapsulate all of the above factors of branding and establish a value for itself and thereby send vibes of loyalty and value for money for its customers.